You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
GIAC (SANS)GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies
The GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT) certification validates essential practical skills in computers, technology, and security fundamentals. Designed for anyone new to cybersecurity, career changers, and students, it proves you can contribute on day one in an entry-level IT or security role. Earning GFACT demonstrates hands-on proficiency across hardware, networking, operating systems, and core security concepts.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration120 minutes
DeliveryGIAC
Passing score71%
Free questions336
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
6domains
9objectives
52concepts
US $399exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT) certification validates a practitioner's expertise in foundational cybersecurity concepts. It covers core computing components such as hardware, virtualization, networking, operating systems, web, cloud, and data storage, along with IT fundamentals including logic, programming, Windows, and Linux. The certification also addresses security foundations and the threat landscape, including exploitation, mitigation, forensics, and post-exploitation.
GFACT is designed for individuals who are new to cybersecurity or looking to transition into the field. It provides a solid foundation of knowledge and practical skills that are essential for a successful career in IT and cybersecurity. By earning GFACT, you demonstrate that you are ready to contribute on day one in an entry-level role, with hands-on skills in areas like Linux, encryption, and programming, as well as a broad understanding of networking, computer hardware, and security concepts.
Who it’s for
The GFACT certification is ideal for anyone new to cybersecurity, including career changers, online self-driven learners, college and university students, business professionals seeking to develop cybersecurity skills, new hires in IT or cybersecurity, and participants in re-skilling programs. If you are looking to kickstart a career in cybersecurity and want to validate your foundational knowledge and practical skills, GFACT is the right starting point. It is also suitable for professionals in adjacent fields who need a solid understanding of core security concepts.
Recommended experience
No specific experience is required, but practical work experience, college-level courses, or self-paced study can help ensure mastery of the skills covered. Familiarity with basic computer hardware and operating systems; Understanding of fundamental networking concepts; Exposure to Linux and Windows command-line interfaces; Basic knowledge of programming logic and concepts
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective GIAC (SANS) measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official GIAC (SANS) exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Foundational IT Concepts
- Computer Hardware & Virtualization
- Operating Systems, The Web, & Data Storage
Operating System Fundamentals
- Linux Foundations
- Windows Foundations
Networking and Servers
- Networking & Servers
Programming and Logic
- Logic & Programming
Security Fundamentals
- Security Concepts
Offensive Security and Defense
- Exploitation & Mitigation
- Forensics & Post-Exploitation
On the day
The exam itself
Everything GIAC (SANS) publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationGIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration120 minutes
Questions75 questions
Passing score71%
DeliveryGIAC
LanguagesEnglish
PricingUS $399
Certification levelFoundational
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path GIAC (SANS) lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies
Credential earnedGIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Foundational level certification Renewal and maintenance
GIAC certifications must be renewed every four years by earning 36 CPE credits or retaking the exam. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. GIAC (SANS) maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by GIAC (SANS)
Exam registration
Register for the exam through GIAC, GIAC (SANS)’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official GIAC (SANS) certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does GFACT relate to other GIAC certifications?
GFACT is a Practitioner-level certification that provides foundational knowledge. It can be a stepping stone to more advanced GIAC certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any specific certification.
Is there a hands-on lab component in the GFACT exam?
The GFACT exam is a proctored, multiple-choice exam. It does not include a hands-on lab component like some other GIAC certifications.
What is the retake policy for the GFACT exam?
GIAC does not publicly specify a retake policy for the GFACT exam. Candidates should refer to their GIAC account or contact GIAC for details.
Can I earn CPE credits for renewing my GFACT certification?
Yes, you can earn CPE credits through various activities such as SANS training, conferences, and approved events. You need 36 CPE credits over four years to renew.
What job roles does the GFACT certification map to?
GFACT is designed for entry-level positions in IT and cybersecurity, such as security analyst, network administrator, or IT support roles. It validates foundational skills needed to start a career in these fields.
Are there any regional restrictions for taking the GFACT exam?
GIAC exams are available globally through remote proctoring and onsite testing centers. Specific availability may vary by region.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 336 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept GIAC (SANS) measures — each one written out.
6domains
9objectives
52concepts
71free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official GIAC (SANS) exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Foundational IT Concepts71 questions
2Operating System Fundamentals70 questions
3Networking and Servers34 questions
4Programming and Logic40 questions
5Security Fundamentals36 questions
6Offensive Security and Defense85 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Computer Hardware & Virtualization9 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
41 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
336 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
336questions
71pages
9objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Foundational IT Concepts71 questions
2Operating System Fundamentals70 questions
3Networking and Servers34 questions
4Programming and Logic40 questions
5Security Fundamentals36 questions
6Offensive Security and Defense85 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
52concepts
336free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from GIAC (SANS)
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
1official link
52concepts mapped
The source
GIAC (SANS)’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official GIAC (SANS) outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 9 objectives, 52 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When GIAC (SANS) changes the outline, this page changes with it.
9objectives on the outline→52concepts written→336free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.